Applied Cyberpsychology: Practical Applications of Cyberpsychological Theory and Research

Abstract

At its core, the field of psychometrics is concerned with the measurement of psychological constructs. The term psychometric is derived from the ancient Greek words ψυχικός (“of the soul”; “of life”) and μέτρησις (“measurement”), and describes a group of methods by which a psychologist can measure a test taker’s cognitive ability, personality, attitudes, interests, or other psychological characteristics relevant to a wide variety of therapeutic, occupational, educational, and forensic settings. These measurements are based on the test taker’s responses to a series of questions and statements, known as items, traditionally administered using a pencil-and-paper system of question booklets and answer sheets. Within practitioner circles (as is the case in this chapter), “psychometrics,” “psychological assessment,” and “psychological measurement” are terms that are used interchangeably (Coaley, 2014).